Sporting striker Viktor Gyokeres has made it clear that he would prefer a move to Arsenal over Manchester United in the summer transfer window.
Manchester United’s interest in Viktor Gyokeres has been no secret, with the Sporting star being linked with a move since Ruben Amorim’s arrival at Old Trafford.
There is a desperate need for a new goalscorer at the club due to the struggles Rasmus Højlund and Joshua Zirkzee have experienced.
Gyokeres scored over 50 goals last season and already knows what it’s like to play in Amorim’s system and it was recently claimed that he’d be ‘very keen’ to join the club.
However, the latest reports have revealed that the Swedish striker’s preference is to join Arsenal, who are also interested in him.
Berrada’s reaction to Gyokeres’ United stance is clear
Should Gyokeres move to Arsenal or somewhere else, he would be the second striker to reject United this summer after Liam Delap opted for a Chelsea move over Old Trafford.
Omar Berrada, United’s chief executive, and Jason Wilcox, the club’s director of football, will now be looking for a Plan C option. In the past, United would be panicking if their first two options in one position were not signed.
However, Berrada has recently spoken about United’s transfer business and explained that the club have been prepared for the ‘different scenarios’ involved, such as the financial hit of no European football and seeing targets go elsewhere.
“I can’t talk about specifics, but I can say we have been planning for many months now,” Berrada recently told MUTV. “We were ready for all the different scenarios and now know what we need to do. We have a very clear idea where we need to invest in the squad to improve.
“So Jason [Wilcox], his team and Ruben [Amorim] have been in talks, as I said, for many months. Now it’s a question of executing that plan and doing it in a way that is prudent but, at the same time, with ambition.”
The changes are clear to see at United
There are now reports stating that United are eyeing Eintracht Frankfurt striker Hugo Ekitike to United and while his £85 million release clause is a major barrier to any deal, it shows that United have a plan.
It is also refreshing to see that United have had concrete interest in two targets and the transfer sags have been resolved within a matter of weeks. We’re only two weeks into June.
Read More: Rúben Amorim has a “perfect” striker target, he’s everything Man Utd wanted from Liam Delap and more
Previously, you would have seen the Reds be dragged along for much longer periods before having to panic at the end of the window. Now, they have the time to react and move again.
Signing a striker remains a priority at Old Trafford, and while the Reds would have preferred a quick solution to Amorim’s biggest problem from last season, Berrada has made it clear that they are prepared for these kind of setbacks now.
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